Jim “Gato” Hetherington

Jim “Gato” Hetherington, MAP’s Director of Business Development, is a US Air Force veteran, fighter pilot and combat proven leader, with 26 years of active-duty experience in international relations, policy, operations, planning, budget and intelligence.  In 2004-2005, he commanded the Air Forces personnel in Honduras as part of Joint Task Force-Bravo. 

 

Hetherington flew multiple different fighter aircraft, including the F-111F as a WSO in DESERT STORM, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for his actions during the first wave of attacks.  He has also flown every model of the F-16 and an Argentine fighter/trainer aircraft during an exchange assignment, where he survived an ejection from a stricken aircraft after suffering a catastrophic engine failure on a low-level mission.

 

His last overseas assignment was in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Air and Defense Attaché, serving as the primary military advisor to the US Ambassador and his staff, and was responsible for the execution of the DoD policy in the Kingdom. 

 

After retiring from the US Air Force, Hetherington returned to the Middle East and worked with Textron Systems as their Vice President for Business Development in the Middle East, and covered the entire region, including Jordan, Egypt and the entire Arabian Peninsula, living in both Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

 

Gato is currently a pilot flying for Federal Express, assigned to the MD-11 aircraft and based in Memphis but lives in Delaware.